title: Alterations in serum lipid profile patterns in oral cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alterations in serum lipids have long been associated with cancer as lipids play an important role in maintenance of cell integrity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate alterations in plasma lipid profile in oral cancer patients, to compare and correlate the serum lipid profile in different grades of carcinoma and to evaluate the correlation of serum lipid profile between the tobacco habituates and non-habituates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 75 study subjects, 50 individuals were oral carcinoma patients and 25 individuals were healthy controls. The parameters assessed included total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglycerides (TGL). These groups were subdivided into subjects with no habit of tobacco (NHT) and subjects with habit of tobacco (WHT).
  Evaluation of results and statistical analysis was carried out using Student's t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant decrease in TC, HDLC and TGL in the oral cancer group as compared with the control group. The lipid profile levels between histological grading of the oral cancer and between WHT and NHT had no statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was an inverse relationship between serum lipid profile and oral cancer. The lower serum lipid status may be considered a useful indicator for initial changes occurring in the neoplastic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Simranjit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Venkatapathy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: Balakrishnan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Premalatha
authors.forename: Karthikshree Vishnu
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Prashad
authors.forename: Koliyan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramadoss
keywords: Histological grades; lipids; oral cancer; tobacco abuse